Caracterizar Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish
The present tense of caracterizar — “to characterise” in English — is the form you need for what happens now, for habits and for general truths. This page gives you the full present conjugation table for caracterizar with all six persons, explains exactly how the tense is formed for this verb, shows when to use it with real examples, and finishes with a quiz so you can test yourself. Caracterizar means to characterise, and it is used for describing what makes a person, a place or a work distinctive: history characterises a city, a style characterises an author, humour characterises a novel. It is a formal verb of description and analysis. Caracterizar is a spelling-changing verb, so the notes below explain exactly where it follows the rules and where it breaks them. To see it in a real sentence: Caracterizo el estilo del pintor.
Present tense conjugation table: caracterizar
Every person of caracterizar in the present tense. The gerund is caracterizando and the past participle is caracterizado.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | caracterizo |
| tú | caracterizas |
| él/ella/Ud. | caracteriza |
| nosotros/as | caracterizamos |
| vosotros/as | caracterizáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | caracterizan |
How the present of caracterizar is formed
The present of caracterizar is built from the stem caracteriz- plus the present endings for -ar verbs. Take the infinitive, drop the -ar ending, and add the ending that matches the person. The table below shows the endings, and the full table above shows them attached to the stem.
| Person | Ending | Form |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -o | caracterizo |
| tú | -as | caracterizas |
| él/ella/Ud. | -a | caracteriza |
| nosotros/as | -amos | caracterizamos |
| vosotros/as | -áis | caracterizáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -an | caracterizan |
For caracterizar there are no surprises in the present: every form is the stem caracteriz- plus the regular ending, so once you know the endings you know the whole tense.
When to use the present tense with caracterizar
Habits and routines
Use the present for things you do regularly.
Yo caracterizo el estilo del pintor. — I characterise the painter's style.
General facts
Use the present for facts and general truths that do not change.
Él/Ella caracteriza la novela por su humor. — He characterises the novel for its humour.
What is happening right now
Use the present for what is happening at this moment.
Ahora, Nosotros/as caracterizamos la región por su clima. — Right now, We characterise the region for its climate.
Near-future plans
Use the present for fixed plans in the near future, especially with mañana or la semana que viene.
Mañana, Tú caracterizas al autor su ironía. — Tomorrow, You characterise the author for his irony.
Instructions and timeless statements
Use the present for instructions, rules and statements that are always true.
Él/Ella caracteriza el estilo del pintor. — He characterises the painter's style.
The present vs the preterite
The present and the preterite answer different questions: the present says what happens regularly or right now, while the preterite says what happened once and finished. Compare the same idea in both tenses with caracterizar.
- Yo caracterizo el estilo del pintor. — I characterise the painter's style. / Ayer, Yo caractericé el estilo del pintor. — Yesterday, I characterised the painter's style.
- Yo caracterizo la novela por su humor. — I characterise the novel for its humour. / Ayer, Yo caractericé la novela por su humor. — Yesterday, I characterised the novel for its humour.
- Yo caracterizo la región por su clima. — I characterise the region for its climate. / Ayer, Yo caractericé la región por su clima. — Yesterday, I characterised the region for its climate.
Example sentences in the present tense
Seven sentences with caracterizar in the present tense only, covering all six persons.
- Yo caracterizo el estilo del pintor. — I characterise the painter's style.
- Tú caracterizas la novela por su humor. — You characterise the novel for its humour.
- Él/Ella caracteriza la región por su clima. — He characterises the region for its climate.
- Nosotros/as caracterizamos al autor su ironía. — We characterise the author for his irony.
- Vosotros/as caracterizáis el estilo del pintor. — You characterise the painter's style.
- Ellos/as caracterizan la novela por su humor. — They characterise the novel for its humour.
- Yo caracterizo la región por su clima. — I characterise the region for its climate.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo caracteriza el estilo del pintor. — Right: Yo caracterizo el estilo del pintor. — The person matters: caracteriza is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is caracterizo.
- Wrong: Ayer, yo caracterizo la novela por su humor. — Right: Ayer, yo caractericé la novela por su humor. — With ayer, use the preterite (caractericé), not the present. The present is for habits and for right now.
- Wrong: Using caracterizar where definir belongs. — Right: Caracterizar means to characterise, while definir means to define something. — Check the meaning before you choose: caracterizar fits Caracterizo el estilo del pintor.
- Wrong: Espero que él caracteriza la novela por su humor. — Right: Espero que él caracterice la novela por su humor. — After espero que, Spanish needs the subjunctive: caracterice, not the present indicative caracteriza.
Quiz: the present tense of caracterizar
Eight questions on the present tense of caracterizar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el estilo del pintor. (present tense, yo) A. caracterizo B. caracterizas C. caracteriza D. caracterizamos
Complete the sentence: Tú ___ la novela por su humor. (present tense, tú) A. caracterizo B. caracteriza C. caracterizamos D. caracterizas
Complete the sentence: Él/Ella ___ la región por su clima. (present tense, él/ella/Ud.) A. caracterizas B. caracterizamos C. caracteriza D. caracterizo
Complete the sentence: Nosotros/as ___ al autor su ironía. (present tense, nosotros/as) A. caracteriza B. caracterizamos C. caracterizo D. caracterizas
Complete the sentence: Vosotros/as ___ el estilo del pintor. (present tense, vosotros/as) A. caracterizáis B. caracterizo C. caracterizas D. caracteriza
Complete the sentence: Ellos/as ___ la novela por su humor. (present tense, ellos/ellas/Uds.) A. caracterizo B. caracterizas C. caracteriza D. caracterizan
Which is the gerund of caracterizar? A. caracterizo B. caractericé C. caracterizando D. caracterizado
Which is the past participle of caracterizar, used with haber in the perfect tenses? A. caractericé B. caracterizado C. caracterizando D. caracterizo
Answer key
- caracterizo — The yo present form of caracterizar is caracterizo.
- caracterizas — The tú present form of caracterizar is caracterizas.
- caracteriza — The él/ella/Ud. present form of caracterizar is caracteriza.
- caracterizamos — The nosotros/as present form of caracterizar is caracterizamos.
- caracterizáis — The vosotros/as present form of caracterizar is caracterizáis.
- caracterizan — The ellos/ellas/Uds. present form of caracterizar is caracterizan.
- caracterizando — The gerund of caracterizar is caracterizando: estoy caracterizando.
- caracterizado — The past participle of caracterizar is caracterizado: he caracterizado, has caracterizado, ha caracterizado.
Frequently asked questions
How is the present tense of caracterizar formed?
Take the infinitive caracterizar, drop the -ar ending to get the stem caracteriz-, then add the present endings: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an. The full table is above, with every person. No, the present of caracterizar is fully regular: the stem caracteriz- plus the standard -ar endings gives every form.
When do I use the present tense of caracterizar?
Use the present for habits, facts and what is happening right now. For example: Caracterizo el estilo del pintor.
What is the difference between the present and the preterite of caracterizar?
The present (caracterizo) and the preterite (caractericé) answer different questions: the present is for habits and for right now, while the preterite is for one finished action. Compare them in the contrast section above.
How do I practise the present of caracterizar?
Drill the six forms in the table until you can say them without looking, then use the full conjugation of caracterizar to see how the present fits with the other tenses, and the caracterizar examples and quiz page for more sentences. The Spanish Verb Quiz tests the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Caracterizar conjugation — the full conjugation tables for caracterizar.
- Caracterizar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for caracterizar.
- Spanish present tense guide — when and how to use the present tense.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Present-Tense Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in the present tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.